The Seafarers

Stanley Kubrick's first film made in color. Lost for over 40 years! The documentary extols the benefits of membership to the Seafarers International Union.

How do you judge a film like this? I mean, although Kubrick obviously was the creator, can he be held responsible for the final product? This is essentially a marketing video -- a promotional advertisement -- for a union. I doubt that there was much room for creativity or a need to deviate from the script. Heck, there is no place even for odd camera angles or use of sound.

So, you know, is it a good ad? Sure. But can I say it was some of Kubrick's best work? Of course not. And yet, it is not really fair to judge this against his other work when the format is so different.

This is considered, at least by IMDb, as Stanley Kubrick's "first feature made in color" and it was long thought lost. Well, first, it isn't a feature film but just a dreadfully boring promotional video for the Seafarer's Union and the narration makes Jack Webb's delivery on "Dragnet" seem emotional and off-the-cuff in comparison!! Now the awfulness of this film should NOT be held against Kubrick. Sure, it's dull, uninspired and stilted, but he was a young man who was hopeful of becoming a professional director one day and was dirt poor--so poor that he had to start at the bottom...and this is certainly the bottom! For a more fair idea of his potential, try watching his real first features--KILLER'S KISS and THE KILLING--two exceptionally well made low-budget films that proved the man could make a lot with nothing.

Anyone who sees brilliance in this film is a fanatic and is not to be trusted! This film should have stayed lost, if you ask me! Don't say I didn't warn you!

Seafarers, The (1953)

** (out of 4)

Overly long and dreadfully boring promotional film for the Seafarers Union, which basically tries to teach people why they should join. This is historically interesting only because it's Stanely Kubrick's first film in color. The rest is pure boredom and it's no wonder Kubrick doesn't want this film seeing the light of day.

Day of the Fight (1951)

*** (out of 4)

Kubrick's second short shows us a day in the life of a middle-weight boxer as he prepares for a fight. Even with the boring narration, this film here moves a lot better and the fight scene is rather interesting because it's shown complete as it happened. You can spot Kubrick in a few scenes with his camera.

Flying Padre (1951)

** (out of 4)

Stanley Kubrick's first film is a documentary about a priest in New Mexico who needs a plane to keep up with all his people. This is a really boring and flat film even with its 9 minute running time. The priest really isn't that interesting and the narration is flat and stiff. God knows better things were to follow from Kubrick.

'The Seafarers' was a half hour documentary made for the Seafarers International Union in 1953. It's actually more of a promotional film than a documentary, urging sailors to join the union & extolling the benefits, etc etc. The 1950s equivalent of a corporate video or an infomercial.

There is absolutely nothing remarkable about this film. It's competently made, but it's not the sort of project where a director would have the opportunity to exercise any sort of creativity. Kubrick was a hired gun on this, he did the job he was paid for & that's it.

Any attempts to look for trademark Kubrick touches or innovation would be pointless.

There are only two things noteworthy about 'The Seafarers' - it was directed by Stanley Kubrick, and it happened to be his first film in colour. Other than the title reading 'Directed by Stanley Kubrick', I found nothing of any interest whatsoever. There's nothing wrong with it, but it would be utterly forgotten & ignored if it had not been directed by someone who went on to much greater things.

Darth Nub

Struggling filmmaker Stanley Kubrick ("Fear and Desire" & "Flying Padre") follows the failure of his feature debut with this promotional film for the Seafarers International Union in order to recoup some of the losses and raise funds for his sophomore feature.

The film, supervised by the staff of union magazine "The Seafarers Log", the promotes the work of the Seafarers International Union Atlantic and Gulf District with shots of the hiring hall, the canteen, the bar, the print shop and a union meeting at their New York head quarters.

Secretary-Treasurer of the SIU Atlantic and Gulf District Paul Hall emerges from the ranks with a powerful speech extolling the virtues of the union which are all meticulously illustrated to the dulcet tones of news reader Don Hollenbeck who also bookends the membership-drive.

The future filmmaking legend may be only in it for the money but he nonetheless allows a few flourishes in his colour debut, such as the extended, sideways-dolly shot of the canteen, and the film provides a curious insight into a union in its heyday.

"Call it a dream fulfilled."